The election of Donald Trump as the country’s 45th president this week drew a wide range of responses from people in and around the Naperville area. Here is what some of them had to say:
‘Open season’ on LGBT
An active member in the Naperville LGBT community, Eva-Genevieve Scarborough is trying to wrap her head around electing Donald Trump president and Mike Pence vice president.
More Top Picks Best Walking Shoes For Men
“I’m numb, shell-shocked. I’m angry,” Scarborough said. “I keep asking myself, what did we do wrong? Where did we fall short?”
She said what scares her most is Pence’s past efforts as governor of Indiana to fight measures to protect the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender community.
Because of that, supporters might get the idea it’s “open season” on the LGBT community,” she said. “It paints an even bigger target on the back of our heads.”
But Scarborough remains hopeful.
“It’s not going to send me into hiding. We’re going to have to stand together,” said Scarborough, who helped organize a Rainbow Circle discussion group. The next meeting will be at 10 a.m. Saturday on the North Central College campus at Kiekhofer Hall, 329 E. School St., Naperville.
She’s also concerned about what will happen to the people who’ve been insured through the Affordable Care Act that Trump threatened to repeal as soon as he gets into office.
“We’re going to have to care for the people who get kicked out of the health care system,” she said.
To do that, Scarborough is urging Americans to move past the divisive election and work together.
Social media has allowed people to gather in narrow groups with like-minded individuals. “We don’t know how to communicate and reach out to others anymore,” she said.
System need ‘a jolt’
Peter LaBarbera is thrilled by the outcome of Tuesday’s election.
“This is a repudiation of the elitism that has come to surround the Democrats,” said the Naperville man, who is president of Americans For Truth and a conservative critic of equal rights based on sexual orientation.
LaBarbera said he wouldn’t call himself a Trump supporter — he voted for Ted Cruz in the primary. But it was Hillary Clinton’s stance on abortion and homosexuality that was in opposition to his faith, he said.
“Hillary Clinton would have threatened liberty itself,” he said. “People have to stand by what they believe.”
He also said Trump was brilliant tapping into the anger and frustration of “the forgotten man” and “average Joe.”
“They felt government did not speak for them. That includes the Clintons, or the Bushes for that matter,” LaBarbera said.
As a result, he said, the pundits, media and Democrats were shocked by the strength of Trump’s momentum.
LaBarbera also said Republican friends who initially said they would never vote for Trump changed their minds at the last minute.
“I do think this is a huge shift,” which LaBarbera described as almost “Reagan-esque,” referring to the president’s election in 1980.
“The system did need a jolt,” he said. “We are going to have to wait and see what a united government will produce.”
Muslim leader urges unity
Aadil Farid, a board member for the Islamic Center of Naperville, said he believes it is time to work together and unify the country following the election of Trump, who called for a ban on Muslim immigration during his campaign.
“The people have spoken,” Farid said. “There will be differing opinions, but we do believe America has its values intact. We are willing to move forward and work together. It is one nation under God, never different nations within the same nation.”
Asked about Trump’s comments about immigrants and Muslims, Farid said there are concerns based on statements the president-elect has made, and he wants to make sure all voices are heard.
Farid spoke highly of the democratic process. If the country’s new leader continues to create concern, Farid said he plans to work within the boundaries of the law by reaching out to senators and representatives.
“All people of all colors” should be respected, Farid said.
He called the election a “beautiful process” that is now behind us.
“We are the land of the free and home of the brave,” he said. “We want to see our great country remain as great.”
Women’s groups embrace action
Expect to see a lot more activism during Trump’s presidency from groups such as the American Association of University Women and the National Organization for Women.
While AAUW is nonpartisan, Naperville chapter co-president, Becky Glimco, said that every two years the group defines a list of policies to promote.
For 2015-17, AAUW supports affirmative action to improve racial, ethnic, gender and cultural diversity and inclusion. She said this includes “full rights for women in equal pay and all aspects of access to health care and reproductive choice as well as a fair and just path to legal status for immigrants.”
“The rhetoric on the campaign trail was far from this objective and is a cause for concern with the president-elect,” Glimco said.
That will not stop AAUW from going after discrimination in the workplace, particularly such issues as tenure in higher education or women in the military.
“Being in a blue state, I think we became insulated,” Glimco said. “We know where our starting point is, and we will work from there.”
Laura Welch, president of Will County NOW, had expected to be toasting Hillary Clinton as the first female president of the United States.
More Top Picks Best Shallow Mount Subwoofers For Trucks
She said everything NOW stands for is supported by Clinton and the Democratic Party, such as advancing reproductive freedom, promoting diversity, ending racism, stopping violence against women, winning rights for the LGBTQ community, achieving Constitutional equality and ensuring economic justice for all.
“That being said, we are greatly disconcerted that a person with so little respect for women, minorities, people with disabilities and others marginalized by a growing disparity in America can become president,” she said.
What Welch finds equally frightening is the possibility of seeing a new U.S. Supreme Court justice who “shares those values due to the control the Republican Party will have (over) our entire federal government.”
She said NOW must work within local and state governments to bring forth more candidates that support the group’s agenda.
“With the candidacies of Hillary Rodham Clinton and Bernie Sanders, we need to continue the engagement of the young voters who were so energized, and we need to encourage those who support Hillary to not go silent,” she said.
Organized a year ago, Will County NOW, which draws many people from Naperville, already is growing as a result of the election.
Welch said five people reached out to her group asking how they can get involved.
“I think we are going to have a groundswell of support,” she said.
NAACP sees fight ahead
Not even 48 hours after Trump was elected, DuPage County NAACP president Michael Childress was stressing how the time to organize is now.
With Trump’s stance on the Affordable Care Act, racial profiling, same-sex marriage, women’s reproductive rights and voting rights — among other topics — Childress says action must be taken before the next election.
“We can’t wait four years. We have to focus on the House of Representatives and the Senate,” Childress said. “The Senate could really swing one way or another if we don’t mobilize now.”
Childress says many people are still stunned with the results, but losing hope is not an option.
“I really have a lot of trepidation about it, but we can’t give up,” Childress said. “Things have been a lot worse in the past for people of color.”
Not giving up means taking action in a three-pronged approach: Voter registration, voter education and voter mobilization are the focus now, Childress said.
“If we work hard and stay focused on these key items, we have an opportunity to win back the House of Representatives in two years,” Childress said.
When it comes to looking at why Clinton didn’t garner enough votes, Childress points to the diversity that makes up the Democratic party. Each diverse group is often looking for the “perfect candidate” to address their needs. “Until the Democrats realize there is no such thing as the perfect candidate, these election results will continue,” Childress said.
Despite Trump’s win, Childress says he is proud of how Illinoisans voted as a whole. He gives a nod to Hillary Clinton’s “landslide” win in Illinois and the election of U.S. Rep. Tammy Duckworth to U.S. Senate and Raja Krishnamoorthi to the U.S. House.
‘Scary times’ for Hispanics
Trump’s call to build a wall between the U.S. and Mexico and to crack down on immigration has some Latino leaders concerned. Robert Renteria, a Latino author and activist from North Aurora, said the country needs to try and stay together and work for the common good.
“Donald Trump, without question, woke up the silent majority who believed that their voices and votes did not matter,” he said. “But because people finally had a chance to be heard, America will hopefully have a president who can unite a divided nation.”
Alex Perez, the 25-year-old coordinator of cable access for the city of Aurora, said Trump’s election is worrisome.
“I have definite legitimate concerns,” Perez said. “These are scary times, but America has spoken, and I will honor what the country has decided. They want change.”
And while Perez, who is also gathering signatures now to run for District 131 School Board, says he does not support the rhetoric of Trump’s campaign that has “created more racial tension,” he does not “want to deepen the divide.”
Chicago-area Trump supporters feel vindicated
“This is just day one,” he noted. “We will see what happens.”